David bousseau



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

D. ROUSSEAU. ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING DEVICE.

No. 328,976. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

It PEIEIS. W. WW I I:-

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. ROUSSEAU. ELBGTRIG GAS LIGHTING DEVICE.

No. 328,976. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

"rarns PATENT tribe.

DAVID ROUSSEAU, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,976, dated October 27,1885.

Application filed October 15,1853. Serial h o. 109,071. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID ROUSSEAU, of New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Gas-Lighting Devices of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of electric gas-lighting devices in which the movement of the manipulating pull or operating device upon the burner actuates a valve to turn on the gas, and also moves the electrodes to produce the spark to ignite the same.

The object of my presentinvention is to provide a burner of this class in which simple successive pulls on the manipulating device will light and extinguish the gas. To this end I employ asimple form of unpacked valve capable of moving with great ease and yet without liability to leakage, and I also use peculiar ratchet or cam mechanism for operating the valve, arranged in such relation with the electrodes and the manipulating device or lever that one pull or movement of the manipulating-lever forward will open the gas valve, move the electrodes into and out of contact to produce the igniting spark, and, finally,lock the valve open. After the release of the manipulating device it will return backwardly, and the next forward movement will instantly unlock and close the valve; hence one advance movement of the manipulating device will perform all necessary operations to ignite the gas, While the next advance movement will extinguish it, and so on. The parts are preferably so relatively arranged that the gas-valve will not be locked open until after the igniting-spark is produced, so that if the manipulating device is pulled partly forward and then allowed to retire, the valve will only be partly opened and again closed, thus preventing the possibility of leaving the gas turned on without igniting it.

My invention therefore consists in the features above outlined, and also in certain details, as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a gas-burner provided with apparatus embodying my invention, the apparatus be ing shown in its normal or quiescent position Withtthe gas turned off. Fig. 2 is a similar View, the parts being in the position they :as-

same just before the gas is turned fully on and the spark is produced with the gas-valve partly open. Fig. 8 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1,with the gasvalve fully open and locked, the gas lighted by the spark previously produced, and the electrodes and operating-lever retired back to their normal posiof a modified form of apparatus, and Fig. 12

is a rear elevation of the same. Figs. 13 and 14 are vertical sections of a burner illustrating different forms of a valve which may be employed.

Similar letters appearing in different indicate corresponding parts.

Referring, first, to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which illustrate the preferred form of my apparatus, the manipulatinglever L is provided with a pendent operating rod or pull, R, and is mounted to turn upon a pimp, fixed to the burner A. The lever is provided with stops figures y y, arranged upon opposite sides of the fixed pin P. and carries an arm, Z, to engage with the yielding electrode 0, which latter is mounted upon a pin projecting from the insulated metallic strip 1), and normally maintains itself away from the burner-orifice a by its own resilience. The electrodes are mounted in the same way and operate to produce the spark in the same manner as the electrodes described in my former Letters Patent, No. 235, 024, granted to me November 80, 1880, and are preferably of substantially the same construction as those therein described, with the ex ception of the electrodec, which is additionally provided with a disk or guard, c, mount ed upon its supporting-pin,wl1ich disk serves to prevent the lateral displacement of the electrode 0 when the latter is in contact with the movable electrode Z.

Thelever L carries the pawl h, for advancing the ratchet wheel WV, which latter is mounted upon the pin 1?,loetween the lever and the burner, and carries the series of pins; 6 i i, the number of the latter being preferably equal to half the number of the teeth upon the wheel. The retrograde movement of the ratchet W is prevented by means of the pawl k,which is held against thesame by the spring t. The latter consists of ashort spiral spring wound around the pin 1), with its extremities t t hooked, respectively, to the pawls h and k. This spring therefore serves the purpose of maintaining the pawls in engagement with the ratchet-wheel, while at the same time acting to maintain the lever L and its adjuncts in their retired or quiescent position, so that one spring operates upon three parts and performs three functions, thus conducing materially to simplicity.

A lever, N, best shown in Fig. 4, is loosely attached at its upper end to a poppet or disk valve, d, hereinafter described, for controlling the flow of gas to the burner. This lever is fulcrumed at m to the burner, and normally closes the valve by the pressure of the spiral spring to, mounted between the lower extremity or heel of the lever and the burner. The lever M is provided with an arm, m, Fig. 4, preferably stamped from the same piece of metal as the lever. Another lever,N,having an enlarged angular head, it, is pivoted to the burner, preferably being mounted upon the same pin which supports the pawl in such manner that the head n will normally project in the path of the pins 2'. As will be seen,the parts are so mounted that when the lever M rests against the head a, and the latter projects above and over one of the pins i, as in Figs. 1 and 8, the valve-rod 6 will be pressed inward, while if the ratchet-wheel W be turned, so that one of the pins 1' impinges against the head h, asin Figs. 2and 7, the lever N will be forced backward,carrying with it the lever M, andforcing the valve-rod e outward. lf,now, (the parts being in the position indicated in Fig. 1,) the lever L be pulled downward by means of the pendent rod R, and into the position shown in. Fig. 2, the hooked extremity of the arm Z will bend the spring-electrode over into close proximity to the orifice a, and into the space occupied by the escaping gas. By this same movement the pawl h, which normallyengages with a tooth uponthe ratchetwheel W,is drawn over toward the right, carrying the ratchet-wheel with it. The pin '5, directly beneath the extremityof the pawl h, is thus brought to bear upon the head not the lever N, which causes the latter to yield and carry with it the lever N, as shown in Fig. 7, and the lever M, being attached to the valverod e,consequently presses the latter outward and opens the valve,as hereinafter explained. By moving the lever L a short distance further in the same direction the extremity of the arm Z will pass by the extremity of the electrode 0, and produce a spark within the gas,-which has'been allowed to escape through the orifice a by the opening of the valve through the instrumentality of the lever M, as described. At the completion of this entire movement the pawl h will have engaged with another tooth upon the ratchet-whee]. The electrode 0 having now returned to its normal position the lever L may be released, when it will be carried, together with the arm Z and pawl h, back to its normal position, as in Fig. 1, the pawl h being caused by this movement to engage with the first tooth to the-left of the one it was last in engage ment with. During this retrograde movement of the lever L, arm Z, and pawl h, the wheel W will be locked and prevented from returning by means of the pawl 70, and at the completion of the return movement the parts will occupy the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the valve being held open by the contact of the pin 17 with the head n of the lever N, which contact will not be affected by the retirement of the lever L, owing to the ratchet-wheel W being held in place by the pawl h.

To close the valve and extinguish the flame, a similar movement is given to the lever L, which causes the ratchet-wh eel to be similarly propelled a distance equal to the length of one of its teeth. The head n of the lever N is thus disengaged from the pin, which latter passes by the head and causes the parts to assume the position shown in Figs. 1 and 8. The upper extremity of the lever M, normally pressing as it does against the valve-plug e, by this movement pushes the same inward and prevents the escape of gas through the orifice a,

as hereinafter described.

In my burner, which is primarily adapted for operation by hand, it may now be seen that the stroke of the manipulating or sparking lever is equal to the length or interval between the cams on the ratchet-wheel, and the ratchet-teeth are half the length of the cams, while a valve-operating device intervenes between the cams and the valve. It hence follows from this construction that one stroke of the sparking-lever will open the valve and light the gas, while the next stroke will close the valve and extinguish the gas. It will therefore be seen that in my invention the simple successive pulls on the manipulating device will light and extinguish the gas, so that if the gas is shutoff one pull will light it, and if it is lighted one pull in the same way will extinguish it, thus producing a burner of very simple action, well adapted to the comprehension of the general public.

Forms of valves which I prefer to employ are illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. These are sub stantially what are technically known as poppet-valves, and consist, in Fig. 5, ofa disk or button,-d, mounted upon a sliding rod, e,which projects from the burner, and is attached to the forked extremity of the operating-lever M at e. The rod 6 intersects and crosses the gaspassage f, which extends from the supply-pipe g vertically through the burner.

The passage f is of zigzag direction, as shown, and is shown.

enlarged at the bend or turn therein, forming a valve-chamber, f, to permit the movement of the valve (1, which is inclosed therein, and which, as illustrated, has a movement across the burner and transverse to the general direction of the gas-passage. The operating-stem e of the valve passes through a free-fitting openingin a screw-plug, 0 which is screwed into the mouth of the valve-chamberf, which plug closes the valve-chamber, incloses the valve in the burner, and guides its stem freely with out packing or friction. The valve or button (I has a double face, or, rather, a face on opposite sides, as shown, one of which, when the valve is forced inward or closed, as seen in Fig. 5, will seat upon the seatf at the inner end 01" the valve-chamberf, and thus shut off the fiow of gas; whereas, when the valve is forced outward or open, as in Fig. 6, the op posite face will seat upon a valve-seat, f formed on the inner end of the screw-plug 6", thus preventing the escape of gas around the unpacked stem and enabling packing and friction to be dispensed with. In Fig. 5 the faces of the valve and the valve-seats are ground metallic conical faces, while in Fig. 6 the seats are flat and the valve provided with cork or other elastic faces to seat thereon, as illus trated, which may sometimes be preferable to the conical ground faces.

The modified form of valve-operating mechanismshown in Figs. 10,11, and 12, will now be described. In this construction I substitute a wheel havinga suitable number of 0am projections for the pins in the construction first described. This wheel w, best shown in Figs. 11 and 12, is arranged upon the opposite side of the burner from the lever L, and is rigidly mounted upon an arbor, 0, extending through the burner. The lever L is also rigid- 1y mounted upon this arbor, and consequently any motion imparted to the said lever is communicated to the cam-wheel 'w. The pawls h and Ir, I have shown as of a construction somewhat different from that shown in the preceding figures. These pawls project outward from the burner, and are united by a spiral spring,T. This spring, in consequence of its being attached to the pawl 71, which is mounted upon the lever L, tends to normally maintain the latter in a retired position, as The valve-operating lever M is in this instance pivoted to lugs or bosses projecting from the burner A, and has an arm,m, projecting into the path of the projections upon the cam-wheel 'w. The valve which I have illustrated in connection with this form of apparatus, and which will be hereinafter described, is closed by an inward movement of the lever M, and therefore whenever either of the projections upon the cam-wheel w rests against the extremity of the arm in the lever M is pressed toward the burner and the valve closed, and contrariwise, whenever either of said projections pass said extremity, the lever M is pressed outward by a spring,hereinafter described, and the valve opened. The projections upon the cam-wheel w are, like the pins upon the ratchet-wheel in the construction hereinbefore described, of half the number of the teeth upon the ratchet-wheel, and therefore each full movement of the lever L will alternately open and close the valve.

A valve which may conveniently be used in conjunction with the organization of mechanism just described, as well as in connection with the first described arrangement, is shown in Fig. 18. In this construction the valve consists of a diaphragm of rubber or other flexible material, D, tightly clamped at its edges to the side of the burner by means of the oval plate D, which is screwed or otherwise secured to the burner. The lower extremity of the upper portion of the gas-passagefsupports a spiral spring, 00, the outer end of which bears against the diaphragm D, and tends to press the same away from said lower extremity of the upper portion of the passage f, and allow the gas to pass therethrough from the supply-pipe. \Vhen, however, the arm m rests upon one of the projections of the cam-wheels w, or upon one of the pins z',as the case may be, the projection M of the lever M compresses the spring 00 and tightly presses the diaphragm D against the extremity of the passagef, which supports said spring, and thus closes the passage and prevents the access of gas to the orifice of the burner.

In Fig. 14 I have shown another form of valve which may be employed, and it consists of adisk or button, (I, fixed to the extremity of a rod or bar, 6. This bar is mounted to slide within an aperture formed in the plate P, which is affixed to the side of the burnerA.

The button B, when the valve is closed,shuts against the upperextremity of the lower portion of the gas-passage f, as shown, and may be withdrawn therefrom in the same manner as the disks descrihedin connection with Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 9 illustrates a modified arrangement of pawls which I have devised for operating the ratchet-wheels with a comparatively small amount of friction. In this construction the pawl k is pivoted to the burner, so as to project in a vertical position, and is united at its upper extremity,by means of the spring T, to the heel or projection h of the pawl h. Owing to the small amount of leverage of the spring T upon the extremity of the pawl h, a very small amount of friction is caused by the retrograde movement of said pawl over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. This construction may be applied to either of the general organizations hereinbefore described.

It will be readily seen,upon reference to Fig. 2, that the ratchet wheel does not become locked by the pawl 70, nor the valve become locked open until the moving electrode a has duced, and the full movement ofthe manipulating lever accomplished, and therefore, if the levershouldbe onlyslightlyorpartiallymoved, as in Fig. 2, and no spark produced, the pawl 70 will not become engaged with the next succeeding tooth of the ratchet, and consequently if the hand should now release the manipula-ting device, the return movement of the lever L will cause the ratchet to be carried backward to its former position by the pressure of the lever N and friction of the pawl h, thus automatically closing the valve. This feature, therefore, forms a safe and reliable means for preventing the valve from being finally held open before the production of the spark, and prevents the possibility of any continued escape of unignited gas, and thus constitutes an important part of my invention.

It will be seen that after the gas has been lighted, the valve locked open, as hereinbefore described, and the parts retired to their quiescent position, as in Fig. 3, a very slight forward movement of the manipulating-lever will suffice to propel the ratchet a sufficient distance to disengage the pin 15 from the head n of the lever N, and close the valve, so that the reproduction of a spark or full movement of the manipulating-lever is unnecessary in extinguishing the gas; but on the contrary the valve, as will be readily understood, is locked ina very delicate manner, and is capable of being closed very simply and by a very slight movement, thus materially conducing to the safety of the burner and obviating the liability of the gas being fully or partially left turned onby carelessness or inadvertence resulting in the imperfect movement of the manipulating-lever.

It will be noted that the form of valve shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is not only very simple and efficient,but works without packing and practically without friction, and is brought to a seat at each end of its stroke, a seat, in the gas-passage at the inner stroke to shut off the gas, and a seat, f around the stem when the valve is opened, to preventleakage around the stem. This form of valve is not claimed in itself to be new; but it has never been embodied in a gas-burner in combination with sparking-electrodes and a pendent pull device to operate the same, as in my invention, whereby but slight strains are required to be exercised on the chandelier by such downward pulls, owing to the free motion of the valve. On the other hand, rdtary frictional plug valves operated bya pendent pull would subject the chandelier to great strains, which is very objectionable and likely to cause injury in the case of fine metallic fixtures and particularly so in glass fixtures; but this serious objection is entirely prevented by the novel combination of parts which I have shown. In the improved burner above described, the electric current is conveyed to the electrode c by means of the insulated wire 0 and from this electrode it passes through the other electrode, Z, and the gas-pipe or a conductor attached thereto, to the other pole of the batter I claim as of my own invention- -1. The combination, with a gas-burner and sparking electrodes thereon, of the doublefaced puppet-valve d, arranged to contact one face with a seat when forced inward and thus shut off the gas, and to contact the opposite face with a seat around the stem when forced outward,and thus prevent leakage around the stem, together with a manipulating device on lever operatively connected with said sparking-electrode and said valve, and a pendent pull for operating said parts by downward strokes of the hand, whereby said valve works without packing or friction,and therefore subjects the chandelier or fixture to slight downward strains through the actions of the pendent pull, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a gas-burner, of a manipulating pawl-lever pivoted thereon, a ratchet-wheel adjacent thereto engaged by the pawl of said lever, a series of cams on the ratchet-wheel, whose intervals'equal the length of the stroke of the pawl-lever, a gas-valve,

and a valve-operating device between said cams and valve, arranged and operating substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination of a gas-burner with a gas-valve and a valve-operating device, and a ratchet-wheel with a series of cams engaging the valve-operating device, and a manipulating pawl-lever with its pawl engaging said ratchet, the stroke of said lever equaling the interval between the cams, while the teeth of said ratchet equal half the length of said cam intervals, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. In an electric gas-lighter, a gas-burner, a manipulating-lever, a ratchetwheel, two pawls, one for imparting astep-by-stepmove ment to said' ratchet-wheel and carried upon said lever, and the other for preventing a retrograde movement of said ratchet-wheel and fixed to the burner, in combination with each other and with a spring united to the fixed and to the moving pawl, whereby said lever may be retracted and the pawls maintained in engagement with the ratchet by means of a single force, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric gas-lighter, the combination of a gas-burner, a wheel, means for imparting a step-by-step movement thereto, a series of pins, t, mounted concentrically upon said wheel, the lever N, provided with the head it, normally projectingin the path of said pins, and a cook or valve for admitting gas to the tip of the burner, and means for opening said valve when said head and one of said pins are in collision, and closing the same when they are detached, or vice versa, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric gas-lighting burner, the

concentrically thereon, the pawl h, carried upon said lever for advancing said ratchet- Wheel, the pawl 7c, fixed to the burner and acting to prevent a retrograde movement of 5 said ratchet-Wheel, the spring a, united to bot-h of said pawls, the lever N, provided with the head 42, normally projecting in the path of said pins, the lever M, controlled by said lever N,

and the valve controlled by said lever M, sub-.

stantially as set forth,

DAVID ROUSSEAU. Witnesses:

JNo. E. GAVIN, CHAS. M. HIGGINS. 

